What to see in Istanbul

Unfortunately, due to Islamic terrorism, many tourist cities have lost visitors in recent times. It is the case of Istanbul, a corner of Europe that is worth visiting for many reasons: contrasts, mosques, gastronomy, landscapes, history, monuments ...

To convince you that Istanbul is a wonderful city that you must visit at least once in your life, today we are going to talk to you about eight of its most beautiful places. It has been very difficult for us to make a selection, but we believe that the corners that we are going to show you below are essential during a trip to the most important city in Turkey, with permission from Ankara, the capital. Would you like to join us?

Hagia Sophia

First of all, we want to talk about Hagia Sophia, the symbol of Istanbul. We are talking about an ancient patriarchal basilica orthodox which was converted into a mosque. Today it is a museum, in addition to being one of the most visited tourist spots in the city. Built in the 6th century, it is considered one of the masterpieces of Byzantine art.

Blue Mosque

The Blue Mosque, also known as the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, is located in front of Hagia Sophia. In fact, only a garden separates them. It is the only mosque in Istanbul that has six minarets. Its spectacular exterior is in keeping with its sumptuous interior, in which it is possible to find beautiful blue mosaics.

Grand bazaar

As it could not be otherwise, we must also speak of the Grand Bazaar, which is considered one of the largest bazaars in the world. Located in the center of the Old City, It has more than 48 streets and 4,000 stores, highlighting the jewelry, goldsmiths, spices and carpets businesses. If you visit this place, don't hesitate to haggle the prices.

Basilica Cistern

We also want to talk about the Basilica Cistern, the largest of the 60 cisterns built under the city during the Byzantine era. Its function was to house water to supply the population in case of being attacked. The cistern, also known as the Submerged Palace, will surprise you with its light faint, the background music and its freshness.

Topkapi Palace

If you have the opportunity to travel to Istanbul, you cannot miss Topkapi Palace, which was the administrative center of the Ottoman Empire from the mid-15th century until the end of the 19th. From here you can get wonderful views of the Bosphorus, also known as Istanbul Strait. In the same enclosure is the Archaeological Museum, in addition to other buildings of interest.

Süleymaniye Mosque

Another place worth visiting is the Süleymaniye Mosque, also known as the Suleiman Mosque. It is an imperial mosque ottoman It is located on the third hill of the city. It is the largest of all and offers a spectacular panoramic view of Istanbul.

Dolmabahçe Palace

On the European coast of the Bosporus is the Dolmabahçe Palace, which served as the administrative center of the Ottoman Empire from 1853 to 1922. It is a building that combines Western Baroque, Rococo and Neoclassical styles, and the style traditional Ottoman. With an area of ​​15,000 square meters, it is considered the largest building in the country. Since 1984 it has been a museum.

Galata Tower

Finally, and knowing that we leave many other interesting corners in the pipeline, we want to talk about the Galata Tower, also known as Christea Turris (Tower of Christ) and Megalos Pyrgos (the Great Tower). Located north of the Golden Horn, a historic estuary At the entrance to the Bosphorus Strait, it is considered one of the oldest towers in the world.

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